Marauderie
by NotsoSugarQueen
Summary: Growing up is hard. Growing up in the midst of a war that will define the future of the Wizarding World is undoubtedly more difficult. As sixth year commences, they've made it clear that they're giving it their best shot. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Marauderie-**

 **Summmary: Growing up is hard. Growing up in the midst of a war that will define the future of the Wizarding World is undoubtedly more difficult. As sixth year commences, they've made it clear that they're giving it their best shot.**

 **A.N.: I've been wanting to write something Marauder Era for awhile now, and this is finally it. Hopefully it goes well, because I just can barely function without regular doses of Jily and such. Well, here goes! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't claim any ownership, that's all thanks to J.K. Rowling**

 **One: Where It Began**

Most people would not include walking through a solid brick wall in their daily routine. However, Lily Evans was decidedly not _most people_. As her elder sister Petunia loved to point out. Lily shoved distasteful thoughts of Tuney from her mind and stepped farther out onto Platform 9 ¾. As usual, it was crowded with families sending their children off to another year at Hogwarts, but something in the atmosphere had changed. The goodbyes were hurried, more heartfelt, the hugs tighter and the kisses more desperate.

There was a war coming. And Lily knew that those parents and family saying those goodbyes were attempting to convey so much more than well-wishing into the embraces they offered. Because no one knew, come next summer, or even Christmas holidays, what families wouldn't be there to welcome their loved ones? She glanced around, her face solemn, at the faces she knew there was a chance she would never see again. War wasn't picky, and neither was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Casualties were mounting, wizards and witches and Muggles alike. There was no way to know. In a way, Lily was grateful that her family was entirely Muggle, and mostly unhindered by the fear that was being wrought with every edition of the _Daily Prophet_. They knew, in a far off way, that something was happening, but they were exempt from the details. The last thing she needed was Petunia ragging on her about how the world was going to pieces because of freaks like her.

 _Pull it together,_ she steeled herself. Rising up on tip-toe, she scanned the crowd for the faces of her friends. Several feet away, she spotted Alice Fortescue bidding her parents farewell. Hand clasped firmly around her trunk, Lily weaved through the crowd to reach her.

"Lily!" Alice cried when she caught sight of Lily approaching. The petite brunette threw her arms around the redhead, squeezing the life out of her. It was shocking, really, how much force lay in such a tiny body.

"Can't breathe, Alice," Lily gasped out, laughing slightly. They both grinned as they broke apart.

"How was your holiday?" Alice asked. Lily waited to answer as her friend hugged her mother one last time before they both lugged their school trunks onto the baggage car.

"The usual. Quiet," Lily shrugged, dusting off her hands on her jeans as she drew back from the car.

"With the exception of Petunia, I'm guessing," Alice snorted distastefully.

"Obviously," Lily agreed, sighing.

"She's such a cow. I know she's your sister, but honestly," Alice remarked, shaking her head. "Have you seen Marlene or Dorcas or Mary?" The five made up the sixth year Gryffindor girls, and had shared a dormitory since they were eleven. Essentially, there was no one Lily loved more in Hogwarts.

Of course, once upon a time, she had had another best friend. But the events of last year had promptly put an end to _that._

Again, she shoved the unwanted memories away; a sick feeling of hurt and anger bubbling up in her stomach. Down, down, inside a lockbox that even _Alohamora_ couldn't open.

"Not yet. I was hoping you had. They might already have a compartment," Lily answered, stepping onto the train. Glancing through the windows to each compartment as they made their way down the narrow hallways, hoping to catch sight of Marlene's mass of silken hair or hear Dorcas's loud laugh.

" _Oi_ , Evans!" Lily turned, doing her best to suppress the sigh of exasperation that threatened to escape her. The train hadn't even left the station yet. It was far too early in the year to deal with this.

 _This_ was better known as the Marauders; the quartet of Gryffindor boys in the same year as Lily and Alice. Notorious pranksters, they had set records for detentions, and somehow maintained a status of utmost popularity throughout the past five years. Thankfully, it was only Sirius Black. Although Lily was in no way thrilled to see him, he was certainly not the one she most dreaded the sight of.

Black's assured, slightly manic grin was present as he caught her eye at the far end of the hall. Although she felt no attraction to him, it was undeniable that he was handsome. With unruly dark hair that fell in a mop of slight curls around his ears, steel gray eyes and a physique that could only be attributed to his position as Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the female population of Hogwarts lay at his feet. He was fully aware of this, and wasted no time in shagging whomever he liked. Lily pursed her lips.

"What?" she asked, preparing herself for the worst. Something the Marauders were constantly changing her definition of. Whenever she thought the havoc they created had reached its limit, she was unpleasantly surprised as they surpassed it.

"Have you seen James?" he inquired.

The taste inside her mouth went sour. "No, I haven't." Not waiting to see his reaction, she turned away and slipped inside the compartment in which Alice and her other roommates were waiting. She collapsed onto the seat, propping up her head with her hand.

"What did Black want?" Dorcas asked. She was seated across from Lily, her brows raised. Dorcas was a bit of a tomboy, very athletic and a proud member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She played Chaser, and she was all power and lean muscle, like a gymnast. The summer holidays had left her skin browned, and her sandy blond hair was cropped just above her shoulder, falling in playful waves around her face.

"Nice to see you too, Dorcas," Lily rolled her eyes, a smile returning to her face. Just being in the presence of her best friends lightened her mood considerably. "And to answer your question, the berk just wanted me to know if I'd seen Potter yet."

Dorcas laughed. "Should've known."

Potter, or James Potter, was Lily's least favorite of the Marauders. This was mainly to do with the fact that he was the bane of her existence. Having pranked her since first year, and simultaneously shamelessly asked her out since third, he was forever under her skin. She hated the sight of his messy jet black hair, his mischievous hazel eyes, the way his glasses made him look somewhat smart, which only endeared him more to girls. Something he was most definitely aware of, judging by the number of girls he always seemed to have shagged. He was unbearably arrogant, something that his prowess on the Quidditch pitch and unrelenting popularity did nothing to suppress. He was the best friend of Sirius Black, and together they were a dynamic, (or destructive, in Lily's opinion) duo of pranksters that headed the Marauders. And nothing Lily ever did or said could make him leave her alone.

"Dunno why you hate him so much, Lil," Marlene remarked, filing her nails. "He's fit as hell, you can't deny that." Marlene was laying down on the leather seat, her legs propped up vertically against the window. Her lips were red with her favorite lipstick, and they twisted into a smile as she gave Lily a knowing look.

"I don't care that he's fit," Lily scoffed bitterly. "I don't care. He's an arrogant arse, and he can stay far away from me."

"I don't think that's something you should count on happening," Alice interjected dryly.

"If he asks me out…" Lily trained off darkly.

"Yes, yes, we know, you'll hex him," Dorcas finished for her, waving her hand dismissively.

"I don't think he's as awful as you think, you know." It was the first time Mary had spoken. She was the quietest one of the five, and very Irish. Like Lily, she was also a muggleborn. "I think what Snape did was way worse than anything Potter's ever done."

A very pregnant pause followed her words, and the girls all seemed reluctant to end it. The lockbox in Lily's brain burst open and she wanted to evaporate and punch something all at once.

"She has a point, Lils," Alice spoke softly, her words cautious as she broke the silence.

Lily clenched her jaw and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "What Snape did was unforgiveable. Believe me, I'm fully aware of that. We're not friends anymore, and you all know that. But that doesn't make Potter _better_."

Alice pursed her lips worriedly, and Marlene studied her carefully. Dorcas, obviously sensing that a new topic of conversation was needed, pushed onwards.

"Do you have to meet up with the prefects?" she asked Lily. Letting out a curse under her breath, Lily checked her watch.

"Oh, right. In two minutes. I'll be back." She stood up, pocketing her wand, and stepped out into the hall, sliding the compartment door shut behind her. The prefects always reserved the front most carriage for a start of the year meeting. Regrettably, Lily realized that she had yet to change into her robes, or wear her badge. But she was reluctant to shed her comfortable jeans and sweater just yet, so she kept walking.

The new Head Boy, a Ravenclaw by the name of Amos Diggory, and Girl, Elena Hopkins from Hufflepuff, greeted her with smiles. She noted with gratitude that Remus Lupin, her fellow sixth year prefect, had saved a spot for her to sit next to him. She took it, whispering a quick thank you. He nodded, giving her a small smile, before turning his attention back to the Heads.

Remus Lupin, shockingly enough, was a Marauder, despite his prefect status. He was quieter, and although he had participated in his share of rule breaking, he seemed to enjoy it slightly less than Potter, Black, and the fourth member of their group, Peter Pettigrew. Lily suspected Dumbledore had hoped that making Remus a prefect would perhaps persuade the Marauders against their antics, but to no avail. If anything, it seemed that the four friends had taken it as a challenge.

Lily had not found the irony funny in any way.

"For those of you who are newly appointed prefects, congratulations," Amos Diggory began. "My name is Amos Diggory, and I'm Head Boy."

"I'm Elena Hopkins, Head Girl," Elena introduced, exchanging a look with Diggory before continuing. "Being a prefect is a responsibility. It is our job to try to encourage good behavior amongst our peers. This includes confiscating banned items, reporting to teachers of any rule-breaking, helping younger students, and patrolling the halls during the evenings according to schedule. Although we do hold positions of authority, we do not have the power to dock points, under any circumstances. We can hand out detentions, but if you're caught dealing out punishments with no valid reason, there will be consequences. Professor Dumbledore has selected all of you because he believes you will make contribution to Hogwarts. Amos and I ask that you do your best to fulfill your responsibilities and prove the Headmaster right to have picked you."

The whole compartment nodded in acknowledgement of Elena's speech. Having been a prefect the year before, none of this was new to Lily. It was just protocol, in order to properly induct the newly appointed fifth year prefects into their positions.

"Now, if the fifth year prefects could each introduce themselves by stating their name and House," Diggory prompted.

Lily noted that the two new Gryffindor prefects were Alexander Wood and Emmeline Vance. Besides that, she wasn't paying close attention until the Slytherin boy spoke.

"Regulus Black, Slytherin."

She'd known, of course, that Black had a younger brother. Not that he spoke about his family all that much, having been the only Black to ever be sorted into a House other than Slytherin, he gave off the strong impression that he in no way cared about his family.

Looking at Regulus Black, she could see the likeness. He was younger looking, his eyes a soft brown as opposed to his brother's fierce gray; and he seemed sort of like a puppy, eager to impress. She wondered briefly if Sirius knew or cared that his little brother was a prefect. She doubted it.

"Alright, fifth years, patrol the corridors of the train until we arrive, in shifts, please. Four and four. I'm giving you the freedom to decide amongst yourselves who takes the earlier shift. Everyone else, the password to the prefect bathroom is 'bowtruckle' and the patrol schedules will be located there as well. Dismissed," Diggory said. Everyone stood, slowly trickling out of the compartment to make their way back to their friends.

Lily brushed in front of a Slytherin sixth year, Rosier, and heard him mutter: "Careful, Catherine, don't touch the mudblood." It was low enough so that the Heads, still inside the compartment, couldn't hear, but Lily knew with utmost certainty Rosier had intended for her to hear the comment. Her throat went dry, a flower of anger blooming in her chest. Every ounce of her wanted to turn around and curse him, but she fought it. The last thing she needed was to get into more trouble with the Slytherins. Her pride didn't want to let her be affected by something as stupid as a word. But still, at the back of her mind, it ate away at her.

"Ignore them," Remus whispered in her ear, his tone grave as he gently grabbed her arm, speeding up the pace at which they walked in order to put more distance in between her and Rosier. "They're not worth it."

"I know," she managed. "Thanks."

"No problem. Don't let it get to your head, alright?"

"I'll try my best," she assured him, surging with gratitude. Marauder or not, Remus Lupin was truly a nice person, she had to grant him that.

Later on, as she laughed over Marlene's romantic exploits of the summer and shared Pumpkin Pasties with Mary, she did her best to ensure that the lockbox in her brain and all the painful memories that lay inside it stayed shut. Otherwise, she couldn't count on herself to simply ignore the Slytherins anymore.

 **First chapter down. So, let me know what you think. This story will be told in many different perspectives, just to let you know. I hope I did some of these characters justice, because I absolutely adore Marauder Era fanfiction. Thank you so very much for reading, and please do review! Love you all!**

 **-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.: So second chapter… here goes nothing.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, none of the HP characters belong to me in any way.**

 **Two: Let's Have a Toast**

From the very moment James Potter first laid eyes on Lily Evans, it was decided. Although his then eleven year-old heart and mind didn't _know_ exactly, what it was, it was clear that he was in love with her. It was as if it was inscribed in his DNA; the second she introduced herself and he caught sight of her dark red hair and perfect, freckled skin; when her wide emerald eyes met his head on, he never had a chance otherwise.

Of course, a lot had happened since. They'd grown up considerably, and James had shagged girls—he couldn't deny that his past behavior in the ladies department didn't necessarily win him any points. But Lily had also dated, much to his chagrin. Countless events that had made it pretty clear that the case of Lily Evans was a doomed one—James's brain knew it was futile. He'd asked her out more times than he could count, in more ways than anyone had ever thought possible. Hailing from a noble, old Wizarding family, James had been raised to appreciate the power of chivalry and 'the grand gesture'. But nothing, _nothing_ , had ever made Lily look at him in anything more than distaste.

He supposed part of that was his doing. After all, the redhead had been best friends with a Slytherin— _Snivellus_ , at that—for the majority of their five years. At school. Seeing that the slimeball had been the punch line of many a Marauder prank, it couldn't have put them in a good light. But he'd always thought that she would see Snape for what he really was—an up and coming blood purist who had more than just a simple appreciation for the Dark Arts. But by the time Snape had done the unthinkable to render that relationship beyond repair, James was already an inexcusable arse in the mind of Lily Evans. Or, as she'd so articulately put it: 'an arrogant, bullying toe-rag'.

Absentmindedly, he gazed out the window of the train compartment as the lush Scottish landscape whizzed by. He really needed to get this bird out of his head, at this point, it was ridiculous. Even if she wasn't friends with Snivellus anymore, she still held him accountable for his behavior—pranks, detentions, hexing people in the hallway, flirting with girls and just existing as James Potter, it seemed, had ruined any chances at even a civil conversation with her.

"Perk up, Prongs," one of his best friends, Peter Pettigrew, told him. The shorter Marauder tossed him a Cauldron Cake. "It's sixth year. Don't tell me you've forgotten about the Welcoming Feast prank we have planned."

At this, James finally cracked a grin. "How could I?" It was tradition, since the four of them had first established their reputation as troublemakers in the school, to pull some sort of prank each year. With each passing Welcoming Feast, the heists had become more elaborate and difficult to pull of, as their magical skills and expertise increased. Last year, they'd enchanted the seats to first act as Whoopie Cushions (a Muggle joke that Sirius and James had discovered in their fourth year) when first sat on, and then held everyone up with a Sticking Charm; making it so they couldn't stand up. For an extra laugh, they'd charmed the drinks at the Slytherin table to make all the men talk in girlishly high pitched voices while all their female peers spoke in deep baritones. It was a charm that had lasted throughout the first day of class.

James unwrapped the Cauldron Cake and was about to take a bite of it when it was snatched from his hands by none other than Sirius Black.

"Pads, I was just about to eat that you know. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" he complained, still unable to resist a smile. Simply being here, with his best mates, did wonders for his Lily Evans plagued mind. His mood had lifted, even if he was sans the Cauldron Cake.

Sirius snorted as he took a huge bite off the cake. "Have you met my mother? Her manners consist of insulting anyone who isn't a Black as many times possible within a single sentence. So in that case, no, I reckon I don't have manners."

"Fair point." Peter tossed James another cake obligingly.

"Moony's at the prefects meeting, then?" James inquired.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. Reckon he'll be back soon, though. Hopefully he doesn't get stuck patrolling the hallways like last year. He nearly missed the whole train ride."

James and Peter nodded in agreement, mouths full of sweets.

"Say, I did see Evans. Asked her if she'd seen you, yet," the dark haired boy added with a mischievous glint. "She said no, of course. The summer holidays did her well, Prongs."

"Shut up," James shoved his best friend's shoulder. "Don't talk about Evans… she's… she's…" he struggled to find the words.

"The sun, the moon, and all the stars, blah blah blah, yes we get it. She also still thinks you're a conceited git, unfortunately for you," Sirius mocked. "Mate, I don't really get your fascination with her, to be honest. I mean, she's right fit and everything, but she hates you. And I don't think it's really necessary for me to point out that there are plenty of other fit girls in the school who _don't_ hate you."

James sighed darkly. "Look, let's just not talk about Evans, alright? I know she hates me. There's no point in getting around it. And I dunno why I can't let it go. I'm starting to resent the whole bloody situation." Lily Evans had made it quite clear what she thought of him. He knew that the way he felt wasn't going to change anytime soon, but the logical part of him knew Sirius was right. Perhaps it was time to tally his losses and settle for less. At least, for the time being.

After all, there were other things going on in the Wizarding world. Much more pressing matters were at stake then whether or not Evans agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him. Having a father that was Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry made James privy too much more information than the _Daily Prophet_ provided. Things were going sour among the pureblood families; the division was clear: it was blood purists against blood traitors. There was a war coming, and no one could be sure what side would emerge victorious.

Pushing away the thoughts of looming politics and his father's lectures, James tuned in once more to his friends' conversation, in time for the fourth member to return. Remus Lupin poked his head inside the compartment. "Mind if I join you?"

"Don't be thick, Moony," James joked, motioning to the seat across from him. "Who are the new Heads we need to antagonize this year?"

"Amos Diggory and Elena Hopkins," Remus informed him, unwrapping a bar of Honeydukes chocolate.

The other three boys groaned in unison. Amos Diggory was, in their opinion, a classic suck-up, stickler of a pretty boy. He also happened to Captain the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, which gave James all the more reason to dislike him, having been made the newly appointed Captain of the Gryffndor team this year.

"Hopkins is alright," Remus offered, shrugging.

"Hopkins hates me," Peter argued. "Ever since we set of those Dungbombs on the fourth floor that time."

"Might I remind you that we've done that on multiple occasions, Wormtail?" James pointed out.

"All the more reason that Hopkins doesn't like us," Peter replied, grimacing.

"Merlin, mate, we're the Marauders. We're experts at making mischief and wreaking havoc upon the rule abiding citizens of the universe. Some stuffy Heads aren't going to stop us from fulfilling our duty," Sirius crowed defiantly. "Our Feast prank will make that loud and clear."

"Let's toast to that," James suggested, straightening up to reach for his leather school bag, rummaging around inside it for a moment or two before procuring a glass bottle. The contents of which were most definitely not school approved.

"Prongs, we're not even at the school yet. Don't you think it's a bit too early to be drinking?" Remus said warily.

"Relax, Moony. Don't get your knickers in a twist. Just a swig is all. To lighten the mood," James clarified, grinning widely as he uncorked the bottle. "To a hell of a sixth year." He took a generous swig before passing it onto Sirius, who copied him. When Peter and Remus had both had their share, James stoppered it and returned it to his bag.

"Shall we review the plans for tonight?" Peter prompted, and with a burst of enthusiasm, the four friends put their heads together to perfect their plot to make, in the words of Sirius, the Welcome Feast a little more memorable.

 **A.N.: Second chapter, down. Now I know James seems like he might not be as mature yet or anything, or that he's not fully dedicated to Lily, but the thing is that he does realize that he's done some damage, and he doesn't really know where he stands in her eyes, because due to the incident at the lake during their fifth year, he realizes that she probably hates him. And he's unsure how to go about it anymore, or if its even worth it. So he's going to keep his distance a little while. Mind you, Jily will not become a couple during their sixth year. I'm planning for this story to at least span their last two years at Hogwarts… if not then just their sixth year, and then move on to the seventh in potentially another sequel, depending on how many chapters their sixth year amounts to. But anyway, this story will feature more than just Lily and James's complex love story, as I mentioned before. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. I just love the Marauders, and I feel like they're such a good representation of the idyllic teenage experience that people want to have. Please review! Thank you so much for reading! Love you all!**

 **-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.: I'm absolutely ecstatic at the reviews I've gotten. Although they've been fewer than the feedback I get when writing my PJO fanfictions, I still love hearing what you all think about my writing. It really means a lot. Anyway, I'm feeling so enthralled with the Marauders lately, so the inspiration is really flowing. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: As I said before, HP isn't mine… it would make an awesome, very late birthday present though.**

 **Three: Home Sweet Hogwarts**

"Finally," Alice declared gratefully. The train was slowing as it reached the Hogsmeade station. The sixth year girls were gathering their things, Marlene making sure she didn't leave her favorite red lipstick behind, Alice was double checking the textbooks in her bag while Lily; ever the prefect, picking up the rubbish they'd acquired from the sweets purchased earlier. Dorcas was, of course, lazing across the seat, having only just changed into her robes, while Mary coaxed her fat black cat, Odin, into his cage once more.

Marlene McKinnon couldn't agree more with her friend's gratitude. She stood up when the carriage ceased moving. "We'd better nab a carriage before they get overtaken by second years," she remarked.

"Agreed. Bollocks, I'm starving," Dorcas groaned, standing up beside her. The five of them slipped out of the carriage, bags slung over their shoulders, and in Mary's case, cat under her arm. As Marlene had predicted, the station was mobbed with students of all ages, most of which were younger than her. The first years were all crowded around Hagrid, the unnaturally large gamekeeper of Hogwarts. Marlene couldn't help but smile slightly at the familiarity of his raspy, deep voice calling out to the nervous eleven year olds on the platform.

"Hey, Marlene!" Craig Norton shouted from a carriage farther down. "Good summer, huh?"

Marlene curled her red lips into a smirk. "Norton." she acknowledged, nodding her head before turning and continuing towards the empty carriage that Alice had located. She could feel the eyes of boys and girls alike on her; filled with feeling ranging from lust to resentment. But none of it phased her in the least. Craig Norton was among many boys that had saluted her on the train that day. He was fit, sure, not to mention a prick. However, as a general rule, Marlene refrained from any sort of relationship where the personality of the bloke mattered. And so, whether or not Craig Norton was an arse was beside the point. Other things mattered. Mainly; his snogging technique.

The five of them squeezed inside the carriage, Marlene sandwiched between Mary and Lily. It rumbled beneath them as they began moving once more.

"Tell me you're not going to snog Craig Norton," Mary stated, giving her a sideways glance.

Marlene shrugged. "Haven't decided yet."

Dorcas snorted. "By the look he was giving you, you ought to make up your mind quick. He'll probably take you in the broom cupboard outside the Great Hall if he can."

Marlene snorted. "Please. I'm not going to be _that_ girl. I'm not going to miss the feast for some bloke, even if he does have an awesome jawline."

"Only for the feast does she draw the line," Dorcas teased.

"I like my pudding, what can I say?" Marlene laughed.

"What do you reckon the Sorting Hat will say this year?" Alice inquired as she glanced out the window at the darkening sky.

"Nothing that matters. I don't think we need a magic hat to tell us that there's a war going on and that we need to be prepared," Lily answered her, grimacing as she tucked a stray piece of red hair behind her ear.

"If it tries to preach House unity to us…" Marlene scoffed with disgust. "It can stuff it for all I care. I'm not getting chummy with any slimeballs from Slytherin. Bloody serpents."

"Agreed," Mary shuddered darkly. A brief pause fell over the girls—no one knew better than Mary what the Slytherins were truly capable of. Last year, on her way back from the library, a group of Slytherins in their year ambushed her. To this day, Marlene wasn't entirely sure what, exactly, had happened that night, only that Mary had been tortured with Dark Magic. It wasn't exactly a topic that her friend enjoyed discussing. To make matters worse, Mulciber, Avery and Rosier hadn't been caught or punished.

Marlene put an arm around Mary reassuringly, giving her a small squeeze.

"I suspect we'll be at the castle soon," Alice commented, steering the conversation away from the war. As if on cue, the carriage rattled to a stop, and the door automatically swung open. Lily disembarked first, Marlene and Dorcas close behind while Mary and Alice headed up the rear. Smoothing down her skirt and adjusting her sweater, the chilly autumn air bit into her skin. Together, they joined the crowd of students headed through the gates and into the Entrance Hall.

They trickled into the Great Hall finally, securing their seats at the Gryffindor table. Although Marlene was in her sixth year, and had sat in the Great Hall more times than she could ever hope to count, she never ceased to be amazed by it. The ancient stone walls vaulted into what seemed to be the open sky above, and thousands of candles floated delicately above everyone's heads, bathing the room in warm light. Golden plates and silverware and goblets were laid out upon the tables, with space in between to accommodate the rich dishes Marlene knew would appear after the Sorting. Her stomach grumbled—there almost nothing in the world that could compare to the Hogwarts' house elves' cooking. Except maybe Mrs. Evan's famous sponge cake.

"It's so good to be back," Alice said wistfully, still looking at the enchanted ceiling.

"Indeed," Sirius Black appeared, dropping into the seat next to Marlene with casual grace that could only be attributed to growing up in a household where manners were a cutthroat affair.

Unfailingly, the rest of the Marauders joined him, James on the other side of Sirius, and Peter and Remus taking up the two seats opposite of them.

"Oi, Potter, you're Captain this year, right?" Dorcas asked, leaning over to inquire. It was fortunate, Marlene knew, that Dorcas and herself were seated closest to the Marauders, and that Lily remained on the other side of Dorcas. Distance was key in avoiding any bickering between her and James or Sirius; more likely the former.

"Yeah, I am," James grinned wickedly, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his badge. It was old and heavy; antique looking, emblazoned with a lion and a gold C. "I've already spoken to the Heads about getting the pitch booked this Saturday for tryouts."

"Good. We need to pummel Slytherin," Dorcas agreed with a firm nod of her head.

"Oh, we will, if Prongs here has anything to say about it," Sirius laughed, clapping his best friend on the back. "I reckon I'm lucky I'm banned for the time being—I won't have to put up with his insane, prattish antics."

James opened his mouth to protest, or more likely defend his 'prattish antics', but was cut off by Marlene.

"Wait, you're banned? From Quidditch?" she asked incredulously.

Black just smirked at her. "I am."

"Do I even want to know what you did to get you banned?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

He shrugged. "Honestly, no. And even if I wanted to McKinnon, I couldn't tell you. I have to preserve some of the mystery, you know. Makes birds crazy."

Marlene rolled her eyes.

The doors to the Great Hall opened suddenly, and Professor McGonagall entered, the heels of her boots clicking on the stone floor. In her arms, she held a scroll of parchment, and she was trailed by a line of nervous first years.

"Were we that tiny when we started?" Peter inquired dubiously.

"Reckon so, Pete," James drawled. "Some of us still are. Some of the time."

Instead of looking offended, Peter grinned at the exchange of some private joke the Marauders seemed to share.

McGonagall reached the stone steps at the front of the Hall and turned. The first years crowded about below her, fidgeting and fussing. All that lay before them was an old, tattered looking black hat, seated on a rickety stool. Marlene couldn't help but remember how worried she'd been at Sorting. Despite being a pureblood, the Sorting had still scared her. Having anything look inside your head and read your thoughts was just creepy.

Much to the first years' surprise, the Sorting hat opened its brim of a mouth and began to sing. Marlene was barely listening, having no cause to hear the qualities of each house listed for the sixth time. With the oncoming war, the hat had become more bold in suggesting that the Houses shouldn't truly divide Hogwarts. The students, however, had proven otherwise. The Slytherins were firmly pitted against the other Houses, and any occupants of Hogwarts who deemed to show that their sympathies lay with muggle-borns. Nothing any hat said, no matter how magical or wise, could change that.

"Abbott, Ainsley," McGonagall called, and a little girl with blond pigtails sat down on the stool as the Sorting Hat was rested on her head. It took mere seconds for the decision to be made—

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat crowed loudly, and the table to the left of Gryffindor burst into applause as Ainsley Abbott hurried to take her seat.

"I hope this goes by quickly," Sirius muttered next to her, fidgeting.

"Agreed," Marlene whispered back. Remus shot them a slightly disapproving look, and Sirius just grinned cheekily in response before turning his attention back to the Sorting. Boot, Andrew, had just been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Marlene watched as the first years trembled with anticipation. They all seem so small, so fragile. Had she been like that? Part of her hoped not, but she knew that the probability of her appearing as a small, pretty dark haired eleven year old was probable. A lot could change in six years.

The first new Gryffindor was a boy by the name of Dirk Creswell. Marlene applauded enthusiastically with the rest of her House; the Marauders whooped and whistled next to her. Dirk smiled and took his new seat next to some second years, clearly relieved at being Sorted into the scarlet and gold house.

Ten minutes later, Wickstrom, Riley, was sorted into Hufflepuff and concluded the Ceremony. Marlene drummed her nails on the table, feeling more than a little impatient. Professor Dumbledore, clad in his periwinkle robes, stepped up to the podium, his silver beard gleaming in the light of the Hall. Gradually, the chatter in the room faded until each and every face was turned attentively towards the Headmaster.

"It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you back for another year at Hogwarts," he began, his voice firm but kind as his mouth gave the crowd a slight smile. "A reminder that the Forbidden Forest is ironically, forbidden, and that the list of banned items is posted in every common room, as well as outside the Prefects Office. And now, the school song, shall we?"

He raised his wand to conduct, and Marlene and the rest of the students began to sing. It was a funny, humble little anthem that they all knew by heart. Marlene couldn't help but grin a little as she sang, exchanging looks with her friends and resisting the urge to burst out laughing. With another flick of his wand, Dumbledore concluded the song. The silence only lasted a second however, before the hall was overtaken by an explosion, followed by shrieks from many a first and second year.

Overhead, the sky had burst into fireworks, showering an array of glittering golden dust over everything, Out of one of the crackers, a magnificent lion manifested and roared; rearing its head back as it stalked through the air over the Gryffindor table. Similar enchanted crackers had resulted in the other three mascots lording over their appropriate tables; an eagle swooped low over the Ravenclaws' heads, while a badger walked proudly above Hufflepuff. A glittering green serpent looped and slithered over where the Slytherins sat. Marlene noted that, unlike the fine dust that seemed to almost evaporate in the air before hitting the tables and getting caught in everyone's hair, the Slytherin table had not been spared from the avalanche of glitter. They looked, much to Marlene's amusement, put off the Feast that had simultaneously appeared before them. Golden platters heaped with turkey and roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, bangers, steamed and buttered beans and carrots, mince pie, treacle tart, pudding, ice creams and petit fours.

It was an unspoken secret that the Marauders were undoubtedly responsible for the spectacle. It was significantly better than the Sticking Charms of last year. However, Dumbledore just smiled at the show, not bothering to shake the gold from his beard and hat as he gestured for the Feast to begin before taking his seat at the teachers' table.

"How did you do it?" Dorcas asked before taking a bite of mince pie.

The four mischief-makers exchanged looks. James smirked knowingly and shrugged. "A Marauder never tells."

"Besides, we can't spoil it for you," Peter added, helping himself to some tart.

"It must be a complex bit of magic, timing it like that. And there must be some sort of lasting charm on the mascots," Alice marveled, giving the still glittering lion an appreciative look.

"Glad to know someone appreciates our efforts," Sirius told her, before nodding towards the Slytherin table. "They don't look so thrilled."

"I reckon they wouldn't, with their feast being ruined," Remus pointed out, but smiling nonetheless.

"Please. The least we can do to put them in their place before term starts. Besides, the house elves will have that sorted out in a few minutes," James waved his hand dismissively. The green and silver table still appeared to be displeased, their golden platters having disappeared, the table remaining empty of food for the time being.

"Oh, Merlin, I've missed this." Mary sighed as she worked her way through her plate. "Mum's awful at cooking. Most nights it's takeout."

"Reckon I should have you over, Mare, my mother likes to try to feed people to death," Lily replied. "But even so, nothing compares to this."

"Lils, I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've tasted your mum's sponge cake," Marlene countered, brandishing a fork matter-of-factly, "and let me tell you, Muggle of not, she's a culinary genius."

"Oh, she'll be thrilled," Lily said. "Now I know what to get you for Christmas."

"Nice legs, McKinnon," Sirius commented, cocking his head slightly as he raised his goblet of pumpkin juice. "Toastworthy, I'd say."

"In your dreams, Black," Marlene rolled her eyes, unable to resist the urge to flirt. He was Sirius Black after all. They'd snogged before, in third year. Not that that said much about the relationship between them. Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black had each kissed more than their fair share of the Hogwarts population. More than kissed, a good amount of them.

"You know it." Sirius appraised her over his glass before taking a gulp and turning back to the Marauders' conversation. Marlene shook her head.

"Bloody hell, I'm stuffed," Dorcas groaned as they exited the Hall after the Feast. Swarms of students were splitting off, heading back to their respective House common rooms and dormitories. Lily had been held back by prefect duties, charged with leading the new Gryffindors to the Tower. The other four made their way up the grand marble staircase.

"Knackered," Mary agreed, her Irish accent thick. She yawned widely.

"Well, think of all the free periods we're going to have. At least you'll have the opportunity to nap if you need it," Marlene suggested, looping her arm through her friend's.

"I can't wait for our schedules," Alice squealed excitedly. "I dropped Divination, thank Merlin, but I hope we're still in most of the same classes."

"You know, Al, I think it's a sign of how much I love you that I'm not killing you for saying something that nerdy right now," Dorcas snorted. They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Anyone know the password?" Mary inquired.

"Flibbertigibbet," Alice answered automatically, and the portrait hole swung open. Marlene gave Alice a curious look, and the petite brunette simply shrugged in reply. "Lily told me before she had to go help the firsties."

"It's good to be home!" Marlene sang as they entered their dormitory. She sauntered over to her bed, at the foot of which her trunk rested, and flopped onto it, kicking off her shoes. She glanced up at the familiar ceiling, sighing contentedly.

"I really hate first years sometimes," Lily proclaimed as she entered, shutting the door behind her. "I know it's not their fault that they don't know anything yet, but I'm bloody exhausted. If one more of them had asked me a silly question…" Marlene laughed as the redhead opened her trunk and began searching for her pajamas.

"Perk up, Lils. This Friday is girls' night, yeah? Don't make any other plans," Alice reminded them. By some amazing feat, she was already in her floral jammies, clambering beneath the covers of her four poster.

"Marls, that was meant for you. No plans, no matter how fit the bloke is," Dorcas teased from across the room.

"Hey!" Marlene protested, halfway through changing into her pajamas. "Friends before fit blokes, from now until the end of time."

"We'll hold you to that." Mary's voice was muffled as she buried her face in her pillow.

"Let's all get some sleep, slags," Dorcas ordered loudly. "Night."

"Night," the four of them chorused back. Lily flicked her wand, extinguishing the torches, and Marlene drew her hangings around the bed and burrowed beneath her comforter.

"It's good to be back," she whispered, and smiling to herself, fell asleep.

 **It was long, I know, but I had to. It was really hard to get out the Sorting ceremony, since I didn't want it to be boring and unnecessary, but the feast did need to introduce you to the dynamic of friendship between the Marauders and the sixth year girls. Plus, I know the prank was less of a prank and more of a show, but I wanted it to be glitzier, more spectacular then cruel, because a sticking charm is more immature. They're getting older and more elaborate, but also, growing out of their crudeness. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and thank you so much for reading! Love you all!**

 **-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N.: So this I'm trying to get this story in motion, and as always, the first chapters are the hardest… bear with me, inspiration wise. Right now I'm dying to just update** **Keeping Up With the Potters** **, because I'm full of inspiration for that right now, but I know I need to give this its fair share of my attention. Otherwise, it will lay in the bowels of my laptop, forgotten. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm sixteen. Does J.K. Rowling look sixteen to you?**

 **Four: Baah-Baah, Black Sheep**

"Wake up, Padfoot." Sirius Black felt someone's hand jerk his shoulder, jarring him from his sleep.

"Bloody hell," he moaned, pushing the offender away.

"It's seven thirty. Class starts in forty-five minutes. And if I'm not mistaken, you'll want breakfast," Remus Lupin continued calmly. Sunlight was just beginning to peek through the windows of the boys dormitory, shedding light on the room that the four marauders had made their own for the past five years. The walls were plastered with all sorts of things; Quidditch posters and pennants, Wizarding and Muggle music posters alike, and countless pictures showing the Marauders over the years. Not to mention, the prank wall. Spanning several feet, there were two lists of pranks, the ones that they had pulled in the past, and those that they planned to pull in the future. Push pins decorated a map of the castle, indicating target areas for mischief, with red yarn tied to them, connecting them with the designated prank. For a group of teenaged boys, the Wall was incredibly methodical and well kept.

"Moony…" Sirius complained, keeping his eyes shut tightly.

"Padfoot…" Remus mimicked his best mate's tone, clearly unpersuaded. "C'mon, it's the first day of classes, and I want to get my schedule. Be glad it's not James that woke you up, he'd be slightly less forgiving."

Sirius sighed and sat up, yawning widely. "Fine. I'm up. Happy?" He stumbled out of bed, stretching as he did so; before stooping over to retrieve his school robes from his trunk. He pulled on the black pants, and white collared shirt, not bothering to tuck it in, before tying the scarlet and gold Gryffindor tie around his neck loosely and tugging on the grey sweater over it. He rolled his sleeves back to the elbows carelessly, pocketing his wand and finally putting his robes on. Because he was, in fact, Sirius Black, and therefore somewhat vain, he glanced in the mirror. His dark hair was wild from sleep, tickling his collar and curling around his ears. Just the way he liked it. He brushed his teeth and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Ready. In five minutes no less."

"Whatever. Let's get going." Remus rolled his eyes, leading the way down the stairs. The common room was fairly empty, the only students in it were just passing through; everyone was eager to get breakfast and receive their time-tables for the year.

The Great Hall was buzzing with activity when they finally entered. James and Peter were seated at the Gryffindor table, two vacant spots beside them that were designated for the other two Marauders. Sirius dropped into his seat next to James. "Breakfast. My one and only."

Peter snorted. "As if."

"True. Occasionally I cheat on her with dinner," Sirius continued sagely, helping himself to some sausage and eggs.

"Your schedules." Professor McGonagall appeared over Remus's shoulder, wearing emerald green robes, her black hair pulled into her classic knot at the nape of her neck. "Potter, Black…" she held out two pieces of parchment that the two immediately grabbed.

"Thanks, Minnie," James grinned, examining his schedule for the year. The professor rolled her eyes as she handed Remus and Peter their time-tables before making her way towards the next group of Gryffindors.

"Mate, we have Potions first. With a group of our most beloved Slytherin gits," Sirius remarked sourly, wrinkling his nose with distaste.

"I have a free period," Peter commented, smiling and saluting them. "Perks to scraping a P."

"Sod off, Wormtail," James replied, returning his friend's grin.

"Yeah, no need to brag," Sirius added, flicking a bit of egg towards the offender. "Anyway, after that we've all got Transfiguration with dearest Minnie, right?"

"Pads, of course we all have Transfiguration. We all passed that O.W.L. Reckon we wouldn't be the Marauders if we hadn't," James replied, draining his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Yeah, with an E, Mr. Outstanding." Peter sighed.

"Double Defense before lunch though," Remus pointed out. "And a free period together after that, since we dropped Care of Magical Creatures."

"And then we have Charms before Moony has Ancient Runes, Pete has Muggle Studies and Prongs and I've got Arithmancy," Sirius finished. "Besides Potions, shit could be worse."

"Definitely," Peter agreed.

James looked down to check his watch. "It's five til."

"I'm not finished eating yet," Sirius pointed out.

Remus sighed. "Isn't it a little early in the year to be arriving late to class?"

Sirius and James exchanged looks before bursting out laughing. "Ah, Moony," Sirius brandished his fork dramatically. "It's never too early."

"Well, I'm not going to be late," Remus told them, nevertheless smiling at his friends as he stood and collected his bag and schedule. "Bet you a Galleon Slughorn docks points but doesn't give detention."

"You're on, Moony!" James called to him as he walked away.

"Alright, see you Wormtail," Sirius pushed his now empty plate away a moment later. "Hex any Slytherins that bother you, yeah?"

"Have fun in Potions." Peter snorted, helping himself to a second plate of eggs as Sirius and James made their way out of the Great Hall.

"We've got two minutes," James muttered, glancing at his watch again.

"Cut through the courtyard instead of around it," Sirius began. "What excuse are we going to give Sluggy?"

"Caught up talking to McGonagall?" James suggested. "He knows Minnie loves us."

"Everyone knows Minnie loves us, Prongs," Sirius replied matter-of-factly. "But I reckon that makes the most sense. Besides, we have the Potter-Black charm between us. I reckon we'll be fine."

"You're forking over the Galleon to Moony if we get points docked," James told him as they quickened their pace across the lawn of one of the courtyards.

"Fine. I'm only agreeing to that because it won't be needed," Sirius conceded confidently. They were hurrying down the stone staircase that led into the dungeons now, the cool, dank air greeting them by ruffling their hair. This, of course, did no favors for James's permanently disheveled bedhead.

The Potions classroom door was still propped open, which was good news. If it had been closed, it would've signaled that class truly had begun, and their chances of slipping inside unnoticed would've been next to nothing. Something the Marauders had always taken note of was that the doors at Hogwarts were anything but quiet. Creaky and loud and heavy? Most definitely.

Coolly, they sauntered into the classroom, choosing to occupy the empty bench at the back of the class. Remus was, as usual, seated in front of them, shaking his head disbelievingly at their luck.

"You owe us a Galleon, Moony," Sirius reminded him in a low voice, propping his chin on his fist.

James, however, didn't seem to share his amusement. He was staring straight ahead at the person who occupied the seat next to Remus; a space that in the past had been occupied by Peter. Now, a slim girl with dark red hair was there, staring attentively at the door through which Slughorn would enter momentarily.

Lily Evans.

Sirius grinned, restraining the urge to laugh. Although he didn't fancy her like James did, he had no doubt that Evans was incredibly fit. Not that he'd ever touch her. She was probably the only bird in the castle out of his reach; not because he couldn't get her if he tried, but because Prongs would kill him in his sleep if he touched a hair on her pretty head in any manner that signified more than friendship.

The reason Evans was sitting next to Remus lay in the hook nosed, greasy git of a Slytherin, Severus Snape. Or, as the Marauders had so fondly dubbed him: _Snivellus_. The hatred between the Marauders and Snape was one that ran deep. Countless pranks and hexes and jinxes and curses had been exchanged over the years, much to the aggravation of Evans. Up until May of last year, Evans and Snape had been best friends, funnily enough. It was a friendship that had begun before the start of first year. Sirius hadn't the faintest idea how it had lasted as long as it had. Snape was a Slytherin through and through, invested heavily in the Dark Arts, and Sirius suspected; the coming war. The relationship had come to an abrupt end when Snivellus had revealed his true self by doing the irreparable: he'd referred to her as a mudblood in front of all of fifth year.

Now, this should've been a godsend for James Potter, whose enmity with Snape had no doubt contributed to his inability to charm Evans for the past five years. However, the circumstances that had led to the falling out between Snape and Evans were largely engineered by the fact that James had been hexing Snivellus at the time. Thus, even though Evans was seated right in front of them, she and James were further apart then ever.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his best mate, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Prongs," he hissed, and James tore his gaze away from the girl in front of him, his lips twisting into a scowl.

"I'm fine," James replied, his left hand clenching his wand tightly; knuckles blanching white.

Before Sirius could remind him that he'd sworn to let Lily Evans go, Slughorn finally arrived, preceeded only by his slight belly and booming jovial voice.

"Welcome back, welcome back!" the professor called. He stopped when he reached the front of the room, clasping his hands behind him back. The man was donning a set of maroon robes, his ginger mustache beginning to gray. "It's a pleasure to see that many of you decided to continue onwards to N.E.W.T. level. To welcome you back, I've prepared several advanced brews for you to examine."

He motioned to his desk behind him, where half a dozen cauldron's sat, their contents simmering. "Now, could anyone identify the first one?"

Without fail, Evans's hand was raised, and Slughorn zeroed in on her. It was no secret that Lily Evans was the teacher's pet in Potions: young, pretty, and exceptionally skilled, she was the kind of girl that Slughorn proudly introduced to his peers at his pretentious parties for his beloved _Slug Club_.

"Ah, my dear Lily, of course," he said, smiling.

"Veritaserum, professor," she answered solemnly. Slughorn beamed, his brow creasing slightly in confusion when he noted her change in Potions partners, but it vanished as quick as it had come.

"Very good, Lily, very good. As you may have read, Veritaserum is a very powerful truth telling potion, often utilized in interrogations. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it difficult for the drinker to detect," Slughorn informed them, rocking backwards on his heels. Sirius didn't bother to hold back a small sigh of boredom. Potions was, as anyone with an interest in excitement, a very boring class. Being someone who enjoyed spontaneity, the precision and patience brewing required were not qualities that were very strong in Sirius, or James. Nevertheless, it wasn't hard for them to scrape O's, especially with Remus as their best mate.

"And how about this?" Slughorn pointed to the third cauldron now, from which lazy spirals of steam were curling into the air.

"Amortentia," Lily replied matter of factly. "It's the most powerful love potion in the world."

"Excellent, my dear. Amortentia is identifiable by its mother-of-pearl sheen and spiral steam, as well as the way its scent differs to each individual; depending on what a person loves. However, it creates more of a powerful infatuation or obsession… it is impossible to _create_ love…" Slughorn informed the class.

"Prongs, reckon you could brew that?" Sirius joked under his breath. James shot him a dirty look.

"Bugger off, Pads," he muttered in reply. Sirius didn't fail to notice how his friend was pointedly looking anywhere but Lily Evans. Really, James's efforts to deny Evans's existence were quite funny.

"Now, if you could all turn to page ten of your books, you will find the recipe for the Draught of Living Death; a powerful and complex sleeping potion," Slughorn continued, stepping away from the other cauldrons he'd finished explaining. Sirius's attention returned to the class at hand as he rustled through his copy of _Advanced Potion Making_. "I trust you will all make an attempt at this. I do not expect anyone's potion to be perfect; this is an understandably difficult brew. Now, begin."

"Alright, mate, I'll cut the sopophorous bean," Sirius offered, drawing out his sickeningly sharp silver knife. James nodded, pushing a few of the shriveled looking beans in Sirius's direction as he examined the rest of the instructions. In front of them, Evans was directing Remus with a cool calm, her red hair clipped back from her face as she leaned over their cauldron, stirring its contents carefully.

Thirty minutes later, the cauldron in front of them contained a light purple liquid that simmered; receiving a nod of approval from Slughorn as he walked by. Of course, Evans and Remus received a small speech of reverence when the professor caught sight of the pale, baby pink potion they had finished; an exact replica of the book's description.

Feeling satisfied, the three of the Marauders packed up their things, James wiping the bench clean with a flick of his wand.

"Thank Merlin that's over," Sirius drawled as they exited. "I hate the dungeons. Stuffy and stifling; completely averse to creative freedoms."

"That's because creative freedoms taken in Potions tend to result in explosions, Padfoot," Remus retorted dryly, to which James laughed and clapped Sirius on the back.

"Cheer up, Pads, we have Transfiguration now." At this, Sirius grinned.

His elation was not long lasting. As the sixth years were leaving the dungeons, a class of fifth years were coming down the stairwell, a mix of Slytherins and Ravenclaws.

"Did you see the look on her face?" a Slytherin sneered to one of his peers. The other grinned.

"Hard to miss, wasn't it? Thought he might cry for a moment there." The blood in Sirius's veins turned to ice.

Regulus Black.

There were certain things you didn't talked about, even between Marauders. And Sirius's family was one of them. He was the proud black sheep, and the distance between him and the pureblood fanatics that made up the Black family tree was something he encouraged. He'd widened the gap into a canyon by moving out over the summer; cursing his mother on his way out.

But everyone has a sore spot. Sirius's just happened to be his brother.

At the sight of seeing his sibling jeering at what was most likely some poor muggleborns expense, the elder Black wanted to simultaneously hex his brother and be sick in the stairwell. How could someone that you had considered your closest ally six years ago now be defined as part of the thing you hated the most?

He supposed he could sort of relate to how Evans felt when it came to Snape. Although, he didn't find the term blood traitor and bastard offensive, as long as they meant he was different from his family, he was fine with whatever they wanted to label his beliefs. _Tojours Pur_. Fuck it all. They could blast him off the bloody tapestry for all he cared; they would roast in hell, if one existed.

A hand seized his arm, pulling him along up the stairwell, past the younger students. James.

"You okay, mate?" he inquired in an undertone.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Sirius's tone made it clear: _we are not talking about this._

And because James Potter was his best mate, he understood this completely, and wordlessly, the conversation moved onwards.

"So, who do you reckon should replace you as Beater?" James asked him smoothly. Just like that, Sirius banished any thoughts of the people that he once called family from his mind.

"Dunno, mate… Reckon you'll never find as good as me…"

 **Fourth chapter down! I love Sirius Black so much, I can barely contain my love for him as a complex character. Shitty childhoods make character development sooooo fun and interesting, as awful as that sounds. Once I got rolling, writing from his perspective was a cake walk. Or maybe an ice cream sundae, since I like ice cream better. Anyway, thoughts, feelings… please review! And if you haven't already, give my other HP fanfiction** **Keeping Up With the Potters** **a try, it's Next Generation, so obviously different from this story here. Thank you so much for reading, love you all!**

 **-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N.: My summer is coming to an end soon, which means that the updates that come every week or so will cease… and become much less frequent. It sucks, I know, but that's the way it is. I'll have little to no time to even have a social life between school, homework, ballet, and work. Hence, this may take a regrettable backseat. I will not be abandoning these fanfictions, and they will get updated, it will just take much more time. Anyway, fifth chapter coming right up. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I just mentioned that I go to school… something I doubt Jo Ro does…**

 **Five: Truths and Dares**

"Hmmmm… first snog?" Alice asked, taking a piece of Honeydukes' Finest Dark Chocolate (donated to the occasion by Lily) in one hand and a bottle of firewhiskey in the other (the latter of course, was courtesy of Marlene). The five girls were, as promised, tucked away into their dormitory that Friday night, huddled together on the floor amidst pillows and pajamas and food. Marlene had put on a record, one of the many Muggle bands that she'd become infatuated with while visiting Mary over the summer.

"That's easy." Marlene straightened up, snatching the bottle away from Alice. "Graham Reichs, third year." She put the bottle to her lips, draining some of its amber content.

"Trevor McDowell, fourth," Lily informed them all, and with a pointed look at Marlene that made it clear she'd rather not, she took a cautious sip of firewhiskey. "How bout you, Mare?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "You already know it was Rory MacMillan, fourth year." She took a bite of a Cauldron Cake and passed on the alcohol, earning her a sigh from Marlene.

"Dorc?" Alice prompted. The blond was splayed out across the rug, head resting on her pillow as she faced the ceiling and contemplated the question.

"Oh, I remember. It was Sirius Black, third year," she answered, taking a long swig of firewhiskey.

"You snogged Black?" Mary cried incredulously.

"For the first and last time, I can assure you," Dorcas replied dryly, rolling her eyes and her roommates reactions to the confession. "I'd never snogged someone, and I think he had once before, but we decided to see what it was like. I didn't fancy him or anything like that. We're too good of mates."

Lily snorted. "You're probably the only girl in the castle that can say she's mates with Sirius Black and is free of the desire to jump his bones in the closest available broom closet."

Dorcas waved her hand dismissively. "Honestly, Lily, I would shag him, just to shag him. He's fit, fact is fact. But again, like I said, too good of mates. Marlene here is the one to shag, regardless of previous relationships."

Marlene swatted her with a pillow and the other three giggled.

"Moving on," Marlene said loudly, still acting mock-offended, "Alice?"

"Graham Reichs, fourth year," the petite brunette admitted sheepishly.

"Reichs is a right arse. We were one among many," Marlene told her friend matter-of-factly. "He's an alright snog. He was probably better by the time he kissed you."

"Please." Alice snorted, taking another piece of chocolate. "Mare, your turn to ask." Truths was one of the traditional games they played at every girl's night. Alice leaned back against the trunk at the foot of Marlene's four-poster, crossing her pajama clad legs.

"Fittest boy in the school," Mary stated. "I'll go first. If it's not either Potter or Black, it would be Amos Diggory."

"No, no, no," Marlene fake retched. "He has a stick so far up his arse, he'd be no fun. I say it's got to be Black or Potter."

"You know, I reckon you're supposed to pick one," Dorcas pointed out. Marlene held up the pillow threateningly.

"Want another swat, Dorc?" she teased. "Your turn."

"Torrence Davies, in seventh year," Dorcas proclaimed. "Yes, Potter and Black are fit as hell, but I'd just about die to shag Davies."

"You'd probably die _from_ shagging Davies," Lily snorted. "The way he slags around, he probably has herpes." At this, the five girls erupted into laughter, and Alice nearly spilled the firewhiskey.

"Alright, who's the fittest boy at Hogwarts according to the esteemed Lily Evans?" Dorcas mused, propping herself up on her elbow and looking at the redhead expectantly.

Lily stared right back, unflinching. If there was one thing that people underestimated about Lily Evans, Alice thought, it was her strength of will. She didn't back down, didn't abandon her beliefs unless she was represented with cold hard facts. Her stubbornness and determination were often obscured by the fact that she was a good-natured person, and generally tried to be nice to everyone. Only Lily Evans could've lasted in a friendship with Severus Snape for seven years; five of them spent battling Hogwarts stereotypes and peer pressure. Anyone else would've caved long ago. But Lily hadn't given in until the very last moment, when the facts became clear with a single world: _mudblood._

Alice studied her friend's face as she looked at Dorcas, clearly contemplating.

"Probably Chris Carmichael," she concluded finally, taking a swig of firewhiskey. Alice gaped at her, while Dorcas just laughed.

"Bullshit," Marlene proclaimed, holding up her hands in the air. "Lily, the game is called truth for a reason. And yes, Chris Carmichael is fit, and he's a nice bloke from what I know of him, which is all strictly in the biblical sense. But Potter or Black, or even Davies or Lupin, for Merlin's sake, are all hotter blokes."

Lily shook her head. "Not in my opinion. Potter and Black are arseholes, therefore, unworthy of me deeming them the fittest blokes in the school. And I like Remus, but I'm friends with him, so I can't think of him as overly fit. And Davies… well, he slags around. So that sort of ruins him, too."

"Oh, Lily," Dorcas sighed. "What are we ever going to do with you?"

"You'd think that with five years of friendship behind us, we would've corrupted her already," Marlene agreed.

"If five years of friendship could corrupt her, she would be a blood purist," Mary pointed out darkly, and Lily's face blanched. Alice's heart went out to her; she knew that Lily had been more hurt than she'd said about Snape's betrayal. As hard as it was for Alice to understand why she'd been friends with the creep in the first place, she supposed it had to be sort of like the first boyfriend you had. Snape had been her first friend in the magical world, and loosing him was hard because he represented a link between magic and Muggle worlds.

"But she's not," Alice interjected, eager to break the silence before it became overly awkward. "Nothing could make our Lily evil."

"Agreed," Dorcas seconded. "Now, unless you've got another bottle just for me, we'd best stay away from serious topics for awhile, because I'm way too sober for that."

"Besides, we still haven't heard who Alice thinks is fit," Marlene reminded them. "Not that we don't already know."

"Hmmmm, let's see… His last name starts with an L…" Mary mused, a grin splitting across her face.

"I think his first name rhymes with sank…" Lily caught on, and pretty soon the four girls were all giving her Cheshire grins. Alice's face grew hot.

"Stop it," she protested weakly. "Alright, alright, it's Frank Longbottom."

"Here she goes again," Dorcas muttered, shaking her head.

"And stop teasing me. Just because I refuse to talk to him doesn't mean you can make a joke about it. He's so sweet and funny, and I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of him," Alice stated loudly, attempting to drown out Dorcas's jabs.

"I hate to break it to you Alice, but hiding from him isn't going to make him fancy you," Lily countered. "In fact, it might make him doubt your existence."

Alice flushed an even deeper pink, and snatched a bar of chocolate from Marlene's hands. "I do not hide from him!"

Mary nearly choked on her second Cauldron Cake. "Then what would you call purposely taking the long way to Charms to avoid the fourth flour main corridor _where he was coming out of Defense class_ just because he would see you if you passed him?"

Alice glared at her friend. "He knows I exist."

"We can only hope," Lily teased gently, her tone theatrically mournful. "But since we're our friends and we love you, next question."

"Wait, hold up a moment," Dorcas sat up, an enlightened smile spreading across her face. "I've got an idea."

"Dorcas, I hope you won't be offended if we disregard your idea," Mary said, grimacing. "Because last time, your brilliant idea was to get Alice drunk at the Quidditch Cup victory party last year, and she ended up puking all over my favorite pair of heels."

"Mare, don't knock this until you try it," Dorcas answered meekly. "I'll admit, I didn't know Alice was such a lightweight, but lesson learned."

"I'm never touching tequila again," Alice chimed in, shuddering and wrinkling her nose in distaste. It was the first time she'd ever been drunk, thus, her limits had been pushed far beyond their actual capacity. She'd awoken on the floor of their dormitory reeking of vomit and alcohol. Needless to say, she wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

"No need to get your knickers in a twist, this doesn't involve tequila," Dorcas said, waving her hand dismissively. "Hear me out. We're going to come up with something each of us are scared to do, and this year, we're going to do it."

"I will not end up expelled because of this." Lily's reply was immediate.

"Lily, we're drinking firewhiskey underage in our dormitory right now. You do realize this?" Marlene raised a manicured eyebrow at the redhead.

"Yes, but the probability of us getting caught is non-existent," Lily argued.

"No one said the thing you were afraid of had to be illegal," Dorcas assured her. "I mean, I'm not really scared to break a few rules, just like Marlene's not scared to kiss more than a few blokes. For example, Alice has to start talking to Frank Longbottom, which would involve ceasing to avoid him like the plague."

The color that had faded from Alice's face in the past few minutes returned immediately.

"That's not fair," Alice whined.

"Sure it is. Besides, you're not going to die if you speak to him," Dorcas's tone was brisk and business like as she silenced Alice's weak protests.

"It's not like you're trying to preserve this image of normalcy because you should really be in a psych ward. You're perfectly sweet and adorable, and if Frank Longbottom doesn't see that he's a bloody waste of time," Lily agreed frankly.

"Did Lily Evans just swear?" Marlene placed her hand over her heart.

"I do believe she did," Dorcas echoed, pretending to faint back on the pillows. At this, Alice couldn't resist a laugh, much to Lily's chagrin.

"Oh, sod off." Lily rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I'm only agreeing with you because I think Alice and Frank would make a cute couple."

"So say we do this," Mary snapped her fingers, bring their attention back to the matter at hand. "Alice has to at the bare minimum, befriend Longbottom, if not becoming his girlfriend. What do the rest of us have to do?"

"You have to stand up to the Slytherins," Dorcas told her. Mary paled visibly, her hands stopped breaking a piece of chocolate in half as her whole body froze up. "I know you're scared, because of that absolute scum Mulciber, but we're never going to let that happen again, Mare. You're stronger than that; the next time they try to give you shit you need to just hex them into oblivion."

Alice watched as the Irish girl swallowed slowly, regaining her composure bit by bit. "Okay. I'll hex those bloody awful excuses for human beings."

"They deserve much worse," Lily murmured, her green eyes narrowing. Alice, Marlene and Dorcas were all purebloods, and although their families were known blood traitors, nothing they ever went through could give them the ability to identify with being muggle-born, and the fear and discrimination that went along with it. Mary still couldn't look Mulciber in the eye after what he and a few other Slytherin cronies had done. Lily had faced the loss of someone she'd considered one of her best friends in front of the whole school when he spat out a racial slur. On multiple occasions, people made rude derogatory comments at them in the halls. As much as Alice loved her friends, she could never hope to comprehend what it felt like to have people hate you for something you couldn't control; something that wasn't even relevant.

"Preach," Marlene raised the bottle in Lily's direction before taking another long sip.

"What are you and Marls going to do?" Alice inquired.

"Tough question," Dorcas pointed at her, hiccupping. "What do you reckon we should try?"

"Marlene should have to contemplate an actual relationship, if the opportunity presents itself," Alice suggested. Marlene frowned.

"I don't do boyfriends. They make so much work," the raven-haired girl complained, scowling. "If I get a boyfriend, then I'll start kissing more bottles than boys. And then we'll have a real problem."

"Marls, this is something you're scared of. Commitment. You've never been hurt by a bloke, and now you're scared of it because it's unknown to you," Dorcas nodded towards Alice in approval. "All you have to do is consider it. Don't stamp out any actual feelings regarding a guy. Just... let it happen."

Marlene sulked, tipping back the bottle again.

"Excuse me, but could you consider sharing that?" Lily asked, holding out her hand expectantly. "Because if that's what Marlene has to do, then I think I might need to drink some more before I hear what I'm supposed to try."

Marlene reluctantly passed the bottle over; it's contents only filling a third of the glass container. Lily took a long drink before exhaling.

"Dorcas needs to… oh, I don't know, stop getting so drunk at parties," Mary suggested lamely. It was a widely known fact that if the sporty blond got ahold of alcohol; very memorable and potentially humiliating things were about to take place.

"No, definitely not." Marlene shook her head. "That would infringe upon the entertainment for the night."

Lily gave a short laugh, her tone sarcastic. "Yes, because there's nothing quite like Dorcas Meadowes streaking through the common room."

Dorcas stuck her tongue out. "That was one time. Nothing bad came of it. In fact, quite a lot of blokes found they wanted to shag me after that."

"Let's not forget the time you wanted to jump off the Astronomy Tower for kicks because you were convinced you could fly without a broom," Marlene added, snickering as she popped a Chocolate Frog into her mouth. Dorcas gave her friend a playful shove and ignored it.

"Dorcas should convince her parents to let her do what she wants with her life," Lily announced.

"Lils, I have no control over that," Dorcas's tone was reasonably less excited now, her carefree grin slipping off her face. "It's just my bad luck that my parents expect me to grow up and be marry some wealthy wizard and pop out a horde of children…"

"Dorc, you're amazing at Quidditch, and you've always said you wanted to do something worthwhile. Just because your parents want you to get married and settle for being a housewife doesn't mean you _have_ to do that. Honestly, if Mary has to stand up to the Slytherins, you can stand up to your own parents."

"You don't get it. If I told my parents that I wanted to play professional Quidditch, they'd go mental on me. I'd never be allowed out again, because Merlin forbid I'm worth more than wearing dress robes and directing house elves and raising children," Dorcas spat sourly.

"A deal is a deal. You have to confront your parents about the fact that it's _your_ life, not theirs," Marlene stated. "Good thinking, Lils. And for you, I think we can all agree that you have to stop fighting with Potter all the time."

"That's impossible," Lily rebutted immediately. "He's so arrogant. I don't know how you can stand him!"

"He's really not bad. I think you're just so used to hating him that you can't see him in any other light," Mary suggested diplomatically. "The only reason you didn't like him was because you were friends with Snape. Seeing as to how Snape was a slimy berk all along, I think you can justify Potter's dislike for him."

"Potter was awful to Snape, slimy git or not. You can't just go around acting like you're king of the world because you can," Lily bit into a bar of chocolate fiercely, her green eyes flashing as she tossed her red hair back. "Besides, I don't like him for loads of other reasons. He takes the mickey out of me for the fun of it, and it drives me mad."

"He takes the mickey out of you because he's a boy, and he fancied you, and boys are stupid so they think tormenting the poor girl they fancy is the proper way to profess their love," Dorcas explained. "We've told you this a thousand times, Lils. Besides, he was younger than. Notice how he hasn't asked you out all week?"

"Its been five days, Dorc."

"Ahhh, but for the past three years, he barely went a day without asking you out on a date," Dorcas pointed out. "He's grown up. He's a Marauder, and a decent bloke at heart."

"Godric, we're not asking you to shag him. We're not even asking you to be friends with him. All you have to do is stop biting his head off. Which should be simple enough, if he really has stopped goading you by asking you out," Marlene told the redhead.

"I like this idea. Think of how peaceful it will be in the common room when we're doing homework," Alice remarked wistfully.

Mary nodded in agreement. "No more rowing in the halls, or jinxes in the library."

"No more shitting all over Gryffindor Quidditch team's victories just because James is on the team," Dorcas put in. "Oh, this will be lovely, all right."

Lily sighed. "Fine. I'll try to be civil with Potter."

Dorcas clapped her hands together excitedly. "I have a good feeling about this."

"Dorc, just because we say we'll do it doesn't mean anything. Nothing's happened yet. It's been ten minutes since we decided we'd do it." Alice brandished a licorice wand pointedly at the blond, who ignored her.

"Let's drink on it. Say your name, your task, and then sip and pass," Dorcas rambled on, sitting up. "I'll go first." She took the bottle from Lily. "I, Dorcas Meadowes, will tell my parents that I refuse to be some snobby rich housewife with no ambition." She tossed the bottle back and handed it to Mary as she swallowed.

Mary raised the bottle to her lips. "I, Mary MacDonald, will cease to be scared of some scummy blood purists." Another gulp of firewhiskey disappeared from the bottle. Alice gingerly took it from Mary, her face heating up as she prepared to speak.

"I, Alice Fortescue, will talk to Frank Longbottom," she stated clearly, taking her sip before passing it to Marlene, whose red lips were split into a smile.

"I, Marlene McKinnon, will stop avoiding the possibility of a real relationship." She paused. "For the record, if I get my heart broken, you four have to finance the chocolate and the firewhiskey I'm going to need to get through it."

Alice and the others laughed at this as Marlene handed the bottle over to Lily.

"I, Lily Evans, will be civil with Potter." The redhead took the last of the alcohol, draining the bottle.

"Bloody hell, this will be fun," Dorcas shrieked excitedly.

"Merlin knows what we've gotten ourselves into," Alice muttered, grimacing.

Lily gave her a skeptical look. "If we're being honest, I reckon Merlin doesn't even know."

 **So originally I planned to have two perspectives in this chapter, but then the girl's night scene took a bit longer than I thought. It was from Alice's view, although it allowed little insight into her as a character, and I apologize. I tried to slip a few peeks inside her head in there, but there was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, and that made it hard to any internal action. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. It doesn't have a huge impact on the plot, but those are some issues that each of those characters will be addressing, however trivial. I was going to do another part from James's or Remus's point of view, but I'll save that for later on. Also, Frank is a seventh year, and I realize he was most likely Head Boy at Hogwarts, and I fucked that up, but it's done now and I'm not going back to edit it so if you could, just go with the flow of the story. Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and please, please review! Love you all!**

 **-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen**


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